Introducing the 2010 SlopeStyle & Tracer 29er

The cat’s outta the bag: this past week at Eurobike in Germany, Intense announced the addition of two new models to the 2010 lineup. Both rigs were designed by Jeff Steber, of course, with the input of riders and racers from around the world.

The 2010 SlopeStyle is reminiscent of the 6.6 SS, but incorporates Intense’s latest technology and recent successes in design features. With lift access bike parks becoming more groomed and many incorporating dedicated jump lines, the new SS gives a rider the sensation of a full on DH bike but with the quick, nimble handling of an agile trail bike. Utilizing 6″-6.5″ of rear wheel travel and designed around 65 degree head angle, the 2010 SS is a bike in a world all its own.

The SS looks like the 951 because it is very much like the 951, only toned down. The ultra stiff rear end of the 951 has made its way onto the new SS — railing turns and sticking lines in the gnar is taken to a whole new level with the crossbar support on upper part of the rear end. Next gen VPP, AC bearings, grease ports, 1.5 headtube, 73mm BB, 135 rear end…. this bike is just about dialed and will be ready to shred very soon.

The Tracer 29er is another of Steber latest masterpieces. A take on the uber successful Tracer VP, the 29 version pushes the envelope of the big wheel design, promising to own the ever growing 29 trail bike segment. Adjustable from 4.75″-5.25″ of rear wheel travel, the Tracer 29 is the longest travel VPP 29 on the market. Complementing the bump in travel over our previous generation Spider 29 is a tapered head tube, a burly monocoque top tube, AC bearings with grease ports and next gen VPP technology. The Tracer 29 holds true to its namesake — it’s 26″ breathren is one of the most well received trail bikes on the market because it is the all around trail machine — the big wheeled version shares the same ride characteristics and the Intense craftsmanship and will be unlike any other 29 ever.

Expect to see both rigs in stores and on trails in early 2010.

Mountain Bike Mecca: Durango, CO

The Intense dirt demo tour headed to one of the United States mountain biking meccas this past week:
Durango, CO. Home to many big MTB names past and present, Durango lends itself to the mountain biking lifestyle with many epic rides accessible from town. Considering the town is home to only about 15,000 people with another 5,000 college students, the fact that there are 7 thriving bike shop with another on the way is a testament to how engrained MTB is in the Durango way of life.

Pedal the Peaks is the pro shop in town and a perfect fit for the Intense brand. Owner Cliff Pinto has been in the industry his whole life, both behind the shop counter and on the race course. Pedal the Peaks targets the locals looking for high end bikes as well as tourists looking for a nice rental MTB. Many of Cliff’s regulars stopped by to demo bikes and all were super stoked on the rides.

Demo Days & Evening Rides

The Demo Tour has been super busy hitting up shops and trailheads around Colorado. We’ve been sending out demos throughout the day and catching group rides in the evening — it’s really effective riding with our customers and the shops selling our bikes. We can instantly answer any questions riders may have and can make sure the rides are set up right as we meander down the trails.

Intense continues to pick up steam in the Rockies. The lifestyle lends itself to outdoor activities, especially cycling, and we’re looking to capitalize on that. Many shops and riders are super engrained in some of the more traditional brands as well as the local CO powerhouse. It’s pretty easy to turn riders and shops onto Intense once they see the new models and especially after they ride them. Last week, we hit up Redstone Cyclery in Lyons, Mountain Pedaler in the Vail Valley, Littleton Cyclery in Denver, Golden Bike Shop in Golden, Ascent Cycling in Colorado Springs and a couple other shops we’d like to get signed up on the Intense program.

We’ve got a couple more CO dates before heading back west:

August 21: Granby Ranch, CO: Demo Day at Sol Vista Bike Park (12 – 5) sponsored by Singletrack Factory
August 22: Granby Ranch, CO: Demo Day at Sol Vista Bike Park (10 – 5) sponsored by Singletrack Factory
August 24: Durango, CO: Demo Day/Group Ride (4 to dark) sponsored by Pedal the Peaks
August 25: Durango, CO: Durango Demo Day (10 to 4) sponsored by Pedal the Peaks
August 26: Grand Junction, CO: Demo Dayat Lunch Loops (12 to 6) sponsored by Bicycle Outfitters

Colorado State Championships — Snowmass

Intense was out in Snowmass last week for the State Championship Race weekend. There was a good buzz on the hill — a lot of big names were in attendance. Lance Armstrong, a part-time Aspen resident, attracted the most attention as he raced the PRO cross-country race in preparation for an attempt at a repeat win in the infamous Leadville 100. Lance powered his way to the win, three minutes faster than Vail superstar Jay Henry.

We sent out a bunch of riders in Snowmass on our demo rigs. The 951 was a popular choice, as the DH course demanded everything from riders. A wide open, off camber & choppy high alpine meadow started the race course and claimed many riders in crashes and flats. As the race run progressed, riders dipped into the Aspen groves that give the area its name. In the trees racers encountered roots & rocks at high speeds. The course culminated in Hell’s Kitchen, a section where a couple consequential high-speed drops are thrown into the mix to keep racers honest. An all-around awesome DH course, Snowmass put riders to the test and only the strongest survived.

Leov edges out Kovarik @ Garbanzo DH; Bryn takes 8th

The 6th annual Kokanee Crankworx is going off. As expected, Intense riders have their rigs pinned and we’re seeing the results roll in. CRC/Intense racer, Chris Kovarik, always shows up to win, especially at the Canadian races. Chris put down a super solid run on the Monster Energy Garbanzo DH course, finishing just seconds off Justin Leov’s winning time. The nearly 14 minute DH race run is a challenge to say the least; most World Cup courses are under 5 minutes.

Bryn Atkinson, riding for Crank Brothers/Intense, also laid down a solid time aboard his 951. When the dust settled, Bryn had finished a respectable 8th. It will be interesting to see these two guys race the World Championships in early September. Both know the Canberra, Australia course well — it promises to be a hell of a race.

Truckin’ through the Pacific Northwest

The National Dirt Demo Tour has been making the rounds — lately we’ve be hitting up Intense shops in the northwestern United States. The riding in the Pacific Northwest is world renowned, the local riders are super skilled and the bikes they ride are put to the test on a daily basis.

Intense had some very successful demos and tech seminars throughout the region including stops in Bend, Hood River, Portland, Bellingham, Seattle, and Coeur d’Alene. If you’re ever in the area, catch a ride or two.

Intense Session at Blackrock Freeride Park

Last week, Santiam Bicycle hosted an Intense demo day at one of the Pacific Northwest’s up and coming freeride spots, Blackrock Freeride Park. About an hour west of Salem in Falls City, Blackrock is the perfect example of State Land Management working in conjuction with mountain bikers to develop a top notch destination bike park.

The trails at Black Rock cater to all ability levels while the terrain and stunts promise to refine a variety of a rider’s skill sets. Freeriders will have an especially good time when they visit Falls City; skinnies, jumps, wall rides and other stunts litter the hillside and promise to test out a riders skills, confidence and gear. The Uzzi VP was the bike of choice among the riders who came out to demo. Set up with a 7″ fork and a 7″ coil shock, the bike lived up to its freeride nature. We adjusted the geometry of the bike through the Uzzi’s G3 dropouts throughout the day to dial in the ride for each rider. All were incredibly stoked after a full day of shuttling Blackrock.

Mont-Ste-Anne: A Preview of 2010 World Championships

A couple months ago, Mont-Sainte-Anne (Quebec, Canada) was announced as the host mountain for the 2010 UCI MTB World Championships. The race courses on MSA are historically renowned as some of the best on the World Cup Circuit. A healthy length run, aggressive rock sections and inclimate weather characterize race day at MSA.

This weekend’s UCI race at Mont-Saite-Anne was a sneak peak at next years World Championship race. The race on Saturday marked Shaun Palmer’s official return to the highest level of mountain bike racing in the world. After 10 years removed from his last World Cup race, Palmer stepped up to the plate and qualified for the race. His race run was admittedly not what Shaun would have liked, but his return this weekend marked a new chapter in Shaun’s professional career — Intense is proud to play a part in his return.

CRC/Intense racer Chris Kovarik has always had a strong showing at the MSA World Cup races. His aggressive riding style lends itself well to this mountain. Kovarik charged hard all weekend, ultimately finishing just off the podium with the 6th fastest time of the weekend. Coming off a win the weekend prior at the Mega-Avalanche, Chris looks to be riding very well. Chris talks about his weekend: “(I) should have tried a little harder, but was happy to stay on the bike — 6th ain’t bad when you’re having a bad week.”

The ladies had a strong weekend at MSA as well. With the series overall points lead at stake, Jill Kintner and Anneke Beerten battled for the 4X win. Both on Intense Tazer HTs, Jill and Anneke blasted out of the gate and into a head to head challenge in the final heat of the night. About midway down the course, Kintner looked to be making a move on Beerten for the lead when her tires let go out a high speed turn: “I gave it my all, felt patient, just lost the front end in some gravel turn coming in hot. Leader’s jersey is mine no more.”

Beerten also recounts the race: “My gate was perfect and with the inside line, I came out of the first corner leading. Rest of the course went well, I knew my lines and winning this World Cup was awesome!”

Congrats to Anneke(1st) & Jill(4th) on podium finishes. The battle for the series lead continues this weekend in Bromont.

Intense in the Pacific Northwest

The Intense demo truck has been hitting up some of the best riding spots in the Pacific Northwest. Last weekend, we hooked up with our Shimano tech crew at the Mountain Bike Oregon event in Oakridge. MTBOregon was pretty dialed with multiple shuttles scheduled every day, great camping, a huge tech expo area and some great local beer.

From MTBO we headed out to visit our Hood River guy: Mitchell at Dirty Fingers. Hood River has some great riding in the local hills — Post Canyon is one of the most recognized trail systems offering everything from XC to aggressive freeride stunts. We rolled just north of town with Mitch and crew to ride Falls Creek, about 25 miles of cherry singletrack in the deep PNW woods. The Tracer VPs ate up the rough stuff while setting up great on the flat sections and climbs. Falls Creek & Dirty Fingers are winners — check out Mitch’s shop and the trail next time you’re in Hood River.

We’ll be sending out demos at Phil’s Trails in Bend, Blackrock in Salem and Oregon Bike Shop in Portland this weekend. Come on out and check out an Intense.

Mike Vine takes 2nd at XTERRA Beaver Creek

Mike Vine headed up to Colorado’s high country last weekend to defend his 2008 XTERRA win at Beaver Creek. Just west of Vail, the BC XTERRA starts with a swim in Nottingham Lake in Avon and works its way up the hill into the Beaver Creek resort, where the course tops out around 11,000 ft. With the Gore Range looming over, Mike hammered his Intense Spider FRO.

Ultimately, Mike finished an impressive 2nd place, just about a minute off Nico Lebrun’s winning time of 2:15:06. Mike has been having a strong race presence in 2009, a continuation of 2008 where he earned the US National Championship title among other accolades. Intense is proud to have Mike and company on our bikes and wish him continued success this season.